WEBVTT THE MALONE FAMILY LOSTSIX CHILDREN, BUT NOW HOPE FORTHE FUTURE IS BEING BUILT FROMTHE GROUND UP.11 NEWS REPORTER OMAR JIMENEZEXPLAINS.OMAR: A NEW KIND OF NEIGHBORHOODAT CITY NEIGHBORS CHARTER SCHOOLIN NORTHEAST BALTIMORE.IT'S WHERE TWO OF THE SIXCHILDREN KILLED IN A JANUARYFIRE WENT TO SCHOOL.NOW THEIR MEMORY IS BEING USEDTO TURN SOMETHING EMPTY, INTOMUCH MORE.>> WE ARE HONORED TO DONATE THISPIECE OF LAND THAT WILL ALLOWPEACEFUL REMEMBRANCE OF THESPECIAL LIVES OF THE MALONECHILDREN.OMAR THEIR NAME BECOMES A SYMBOL: IN WHAT WILL SOON BE THEMALONE FAMILY MEMORIALPLAYGROUND.>> OUR KIDS WERE A CELEBRATIONOF LIFE.OMAR BILL MALONE HOPES THAT'S: WHAT IT REPRESENTS.>> A CELEBRATION OF LIFE, APLACE TO PLAY, A PLACE TO GROWAND EXPLORE AND COME TOGETHER.THAT'S WHAT OUR FAMILY WASABOUT, THAT'S WHAT THE KIDS WEREABOUT, AND THAT'S WHAT THECOMMUNITY SHOULD BE ABOUT.BOOMER: THE COMMUNITY AT ITSBEST.ALONGSIDE THE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL,THE MALONE CHILDREN'SCLASSMATES, AND EVEN THE FIREUNIT THAT RESPONDED IN EARLYJANUARY.ALL OF IT COMING TOGETHER IN ASIMPLE PHRASE, AND MANTRKNOWN, LOVED, AND INSPIRED.>> EVERYBODY DOES KNOW EACHOTHER AND SOMETHING DOESN'T JUSTAFFECT ONE PERSON HERE, IT DOESRIPPLE OUT THROUGH THE WHOLECOMMUNITY.OMAR THE MALONES LOST SIX OF: THEIR NINE CHILDREN IN THEFIRE.WITH LOVING FRIENDS ASREMINDERS, THIS IS WHERE THEOLDEST, BRIDGETTE AND AMELIAMALONE USED TO GO TO SCHOOL.MONDAY, AS DECONSTRUCTIONALREADY BEGINS JUST ACROSS THESTREET, SCHOOLMATES SIT OUTSIDE,ENVISIONING A NEW FUTURE WITHTHEIR OLD FRIENDS PLAYINGALONGSIDE THEM, IN SPIRIT.

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The story of the Malone family captured the hearts of those in the city and beyond. Now, from the ashes of that tragedy comes hope for the future being built from the ground up.

Two of the six children killed in the fire attended City Neighbors Charter School in northeast Baltimore.

“We are honored to donate this piece of land that will allow peaceful remembrance of the special lives of the Malone children,” Peter Muriungi, head of mortgage servicing for J.P. Morgan Chase, said.

The children will be memorialized at the Malone Family Memorial Playground.

“Our kids were a celebration of life,” Bill Malone, the children’s father, said. “A celebration of life. A place to play. A place to grow and explore and come together. That's what our family was about, that's what the kids were about, and that's what the community should be about."

Members of the City Neighbors Charter School community and members of the fire unit that responded to the Malones' home in January, came together for the announcement of the playground under a simple mantra: “Known, loved and inspired.”

“Everybody does know each other, and something doesn't just affect one person here,” Bill Malone said. “It does ripple out through the whole community.”